Til Death
by Chibi-Chanx
Summary: The First Contact War has raged for six years, and both sides are sick of it. A peace treaty is in the works but Udina wants a stronger connection between the humans and turians. A political marriage is forced upon both sides, taking two of their best soldiers and tying them together. AU.
1. The Beginning of Peace

The war had gone on far too long. People were beginning to question why it had started and it was becoming harder and harder to bolster the lines of both sides. It was a pointless war, nothing more than petty hate fueling each side. Hate that wasn't even that strong in the beginning but blossomed after a year or so of fighting. Now, after six years, it was fading. Neither side wanted to continue the fight, but since they had held out for so long, they didn't want to surrender.

A peace meeting was called, inviting admirals and esteemed members from each side to come together in order to talk peace. The council demanded it, and what the Council wanted, they got.

Jane ran a hand through her hair, "Damn Turians," she grumbled. Sure, she wanted the war to end, but she didn't want it to be because some third party was demanding it. After all, one of the Councillors was a Turian. She knew he would have to leave for the duration of the meeting due to his biased, but still, it would colour the rest of the Council's opinions. There was no sighting of humans until the Turians found them and a war erupted.

"Why am I going to this meeting?" she demanded, leaving the bathroom after making sure her blues were sitting exactly where they were supposed to. "I'm not exactly a VIP; I'm the Captain of the SSV Iliad. Not some Admiral or General or anything like that."

"You are going," an accented voice floated back as the woman addressed turned around from wiping away invisible dust from Anderson's dress blues, "because the SSV Iliad has been at the frontal of the defense against the Turians."

"The Alliance is hoping that things would be easier if you are seen trying to vie for peace between our two people," Anderson reassured, "You can leave as soon as the meeting is finished, you've been away from the SSV Iliad long enough."

Jane released a breath and brushed some of her bangs from her face, "Or they'll think we are trying to attempt a power play."

"They will undoubtedly invite some of their people who have bad reputations amongst humans as well, but our goal is for peace. Power plays will help make us seem strong, we've held out against the Turians for six years, Jane, without them gaining a foothold within our system."

She grunted, letting it go. "Then let's get this over with, hopefully this peace talk is over quickly."

"I think this will be the first time you don't leave this ship without me worrying you'll come back with a bullet hole in you," Chakwas teased and pulled Jane into a hug, "The Turians may be brutes on the field, but they are respectful of the Council and rules."

"If this does come to blows, I'll get her back safely," Anderson promised, "We don't want to create a galactic incident if our girl gets pissed at the highest ranking Turians if they shoot someone."

Jane laughed, "Don't worry, I've got no guns."

"Listen to that, she says no guns, not no weapons," Chakwas shook her head, "Well have some Serrice Iced wine once you get back, and you can complain about all the Turians and politicians who have sticks up their asses."

"Sounds like a plan," Jane agreed before following Anderson into the airlock. They were currently on the Citadel; it would be the first time that a human would step onto any part of it. As the airlock worked to sync the room to the outside pressure, Jane glanced over at Anderson.

It still made her happy whenever he or Chakwas referred to her as 'their girl'. Her real parents had died when she was…god she couldn't even remember, but she just remembered living on Earth fending for herself. That was, until a kind woman and man crossed her path as she was stabbed. The man had reacted quickly, chasing and tackling the assailant while the woman gave first aid. After she had awoken in the hospital, they were asking her where her parents were and who she was.

Jane had never had a name that she could remember, and she didn't know her parents. The hospital staff had been calling her Jane Doe, and so that was who she became. Except, she didn't like being called Doe, so she stripped that off her name and just settled for Jane. That was good as she was healing in the hospital. The stab wound wasn't healing as it should, but she was malnourished and sick as it was.

The kind woman and man visited often, both worried over the stick thin girl who was scared and sick. She learned their names, Karin Chakwas and David Anderson. Chakwas knew what happened to some kids when they were put into an orphanage or a foster home, and knowing Jane's history she was afraid the girl would return to the streets the moment she turned eighteen and offered to foster the girl until then.

Once she turned eighteen, Chakwas had told her, she would be free to leave if she chose to.

Jane accepted.

Anderson often visited, and by the time she was old enough to enlist in the Alliance. She had chosen her last name.

It wasn't Chakwas or Anderson, no matter how often the two had informed her they thought of her as family, she still was waiting for the day where they said they were doing it because they pitied her. Not fair to either of them, but it was a deep routed fear. Instead, she had chosen 'Shepard' after Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. the second man and first American to go into space.

Now she was Jane Shepard, Captain of the SSV Iliad and she was rewarded for her bravery in combat.

The airlock opened up and for the first time, she looked onto the Citadel. Aliens of more variety than she had ever seen cluttered around the docking bay as they walked towards the shuttles. Some of the aliens gawked openly at them, while others ignored their presence to the point where she was sure it was forced. Jane tried not to gawk at them, and took as much as she could in with one glance.

As they walked through a scanner, Jane caught sight of a greying man with what looked like a permanent frown on his face. He was glaring at the two of them as they emerged from the scanner and Anderson guided them towards the human. "Ambassador."

"Anderson," the man replied tersely, and gave Jane a disapproving look. Jane kept silent, looking at the shuttle car instead. "Few more minutes and you would've been late. Now, come on, we can't keep the Council waiting."

Jane wanted to comment on that, say that the Council had kept them waiting so far. They had only recently gotten an ambassador and he hadn't even been allowed on the Citadel until this very day. Who knew if the Turians had already swayed the Council's decision on whether or not to split the treaty evenly so both sides were treated fairly, or if they were going to give the Turians more and threaten the Humans?

The Ambassador ignore Jane for the most part until they got to the Councillors chambers, he turned to her and grabbed her arm. Anderson stepped forwards, but Jane yanked her arm from his grip. That made him glare at her, "Don't speak unless spoken to, and support this treaty as if your life depends on it."

Eyes narrowed, she nodded tersely. Anderson and Chakwas had already given her the whole spiel of that and said it in a kinder way. The three walked closer to the Councillors. An Asari and a Salarian. Two to oversee the events of this peace talk. Turians stood to the right of the platform that would be used by the ambassadors of both sides to talk to the Councillors about what they wanted and to debate. Everyone else was there for show.

There were a few people Jane recognized on the left and she and Anderson headed towards them. A man slipped away from his companion and headed over to her, "Shepard," he grinned, "Didn't think you'd come."

"Ah, and miss this peace talk? Never, I want this war to be over with as much as the next person," Jane easily replied, keeping the diplomatic appearance up for now. "Nice to see you again, Alenko."

"It's Major Alenko," Anderson stated from her side.

Kaidan saluted Anderson, and Jane raised an eyebrow, "You didn't ask," he said in way of explanation.

Before she could comment on it, a hush fell over the two separate groups. The Councillors turned towards them and were waiting. The Asari lifted her hand. "Now that all the members from both parties are here, we will begin this talk of peace. This war has been going on for far too long, even if the Council had attempted a peace talk within the first few months." It was a slight towards both groups, but no one mumbled angrily or embarrassed at the comment. They stayed silent and stoic. It didn't get the reaction she had hoped.

"Will both Ambassadors step forwards," the Salarian Councillor commanded.

The greying Ambassador stepped forwards, the Turian Councillor took a step forwards but didn't go up to the platform, "Because some think that my persuasion is too high due to my place on the council, I will not be representing my people. Instead General Orinia will be taking my place."

One of the female Turians walked forwards and joined the Human Ambassador; she gave the man a blank look before turning towards the councillors.

"Each side will give a list of demands," the Asari stated.

Thus, Jane thought, the boring part started. She stood stock still throughout the entire time the two sides gave their demands. A colony in the other system, payment for loss of equipment and personnel. The lists were essentially the same. The Turians spoke first, and she was surprised when the old ambassador didn't demand that the humans speak first.

Somewhere along the talks, she had figured out the man's name. Udina.

"…and our last demand," Udina took a moment to pause, "We need to make a political connection between our two species."

"What are you proposing?" the female Turian asked, a bit suspicious if Jane was able to tell anything about Turian facial expressions.

"On Earth, centuries ago to keep peace and make allies there were political marriages."

A few Turians hissed in protest.

"We cannot force one of our own to marry one of yours," Orinia answered calmly, "We refuse."

"Then how can we tell if you'll stay true and not attack us again?" Udina demanded, "You attacked us first, and without warning."

Jane ignored the rest of their words. Udina was demanding something too high and she wondered if it would destabilize the entire peace talk. If it was just a play to make them agree to the rest of their ideas, an idea that he would give up willingly, then she didn't care that much. However, she pitied whoever would have to be married to one of the birds.

There was a recess called and the two groups separated as the councillors discussed in private. Jane sought Kaidan out and smiled when she spotted him. He headed over and crossed his arms, "Can you believe the Ambassador?" he snorted, "To make someone marry one of them? If this ends up actually being a term, then it would be a declaration of war to refuse. Hopefully it isn't you or me."

"Why's that? Afraid to be married to one of them?"

Kaidan's smile faded from his face, an air of seriousness surrounded them. "No, I just wouldn't be able to be with you anymore."

"Kaidan…"

"If either one of you are chosen," Anderson interrupted what she was going to say, "You better commit yourself to that marriage. As much as I hate that it may be part of this treaty, we have to respect this treaty. No stepping outside the lines. We've lost too much and won't be able to bolster our lines if the Turians try to attack again. They might be able to win if this war goes on."

"If it was an Asari, I'd be more willing," Kaidan muttered.

"Good to know our relationship could be broken if an Asari was willing to bed you," Jane teased, and before Kaidan could defend himself the Councillor's were back. The groups returned to their original spots and waited for the verdict.

"The terms of the treaty have been decided," the Salarian stated, "Ambassadors step forwards and sign the treaty."

The two walked up to the terminal, they both read the terms. She heard an angry hiss from the Turian ambassador, and an unhappy grunt from Udina. However, they both signed their respective spots.

It was silent, part relief and dread flooding through the room. It was unhappy, but Jane knew that good peace talks always ended with both sides not entirely happy. If someone left completely furious and the other happy, it wouldn't last. But if both sides thought the other was not happy with the terms but not complaining about them then they would feel less bad about what they got and slowly bad feelings would disappear as things cooled down.

Jane let out a breath as the Councillors began to speak to them explaining what colonies would be where in the respective systems. They didn't agree on the marriage.

"Finally, Ambassadors, please state whom is representing you in the political joining. Please keep in mind; it has to be someone high in the ranks that are not already joined with someone."

Shit. It went through. She brushed it off. They would never pick her. She was a Captain and had killed many Turians over the years. They would probably pick someone who was important but wasn't responsible for so many deaths.

The female Turian grumbled, irritated, "Commander Garrus Vakarian."

There was a hiss from a Turian, but another one stepped forwards, his mandibles pulled tight to his face. The Asari Councillor waved him closer. He walked up to stand behind the Ambassador. He nodded towards each of the Councillor's with respect.

Jane frowned, one of her fists tightening. She knew of his name. He was known for wiping out entire platoons of human soldiers. They were trying to intimidate the humans, that was for sure.

The Salarian Councillor nodded, seeming pleased, "Good choice, he is well respected."

"And the humans?"

Udina pressed his lips together, both of the two ambassadors had had to have two sexes so when the other said something, they could chose the other. Unless both chosen were interested in the same sex. Though, right now, they didn't really care if the two were attracted.

Jane felt her body tense up as the man fell silent.

"Captain Jane Shepard."

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><p><strong>AN:** Hopefully everyone likes this. It's an Arranged Marriage AU. As explained, the First Contact War took longer to finish than anticipated. Kaidan will be featured as a fairly important character for most of the story, but it is ultimately a Shepard and Garrus fic.

Please leave a review, I want to see if you guys like this story or not. I appreciate feedback :D


	2. Manipulating Bastard

**A/N:** Whoa! I've gotten an overwhelming number of reviews, this is beautiful. Thank you guys so much.

Though, there were two or three of you who were confused about timeline and stating that this situation is OOC. This is an AU story, all the characters are at the same age as they were in the first game however their D.O.B is shifted backwards approximately 21 years. There are reasons why the characters have to go along with it, and Shepard's is outline within this chapter. The others aren't in a position to _really_ do anything about it either. Garrus' reason for going along with it will be told in a later chapter.

Hopefully that clears up any confusion!

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><p>No.<p>

No, she refused to believe this was actually happening. It was absurd, outrageous, insanely stupid.

Her jaw clenched so tightly that it ached, her teeth gritting together as her hands curled into fists. Adrenaline poured through her viens, telling her to get out of there. It was a fight she couldn't win. For a moment all she could see was Udina's stupid face and hear blood rushing past her ears.

"Bullshit," Kaidan snarled under his breath, and Anderson placed a hand on Shepard's shoulder.

Instead of awcklodgeing either of them, she shrugged Anderson's hand off her shoulder before squaring them.

If Udina wanted to play this game, then fine. She would play it, for now. To put on a show for the council and Turian's. The moment they got out of these meeting, she would demand answers and demand Udina sort this shit out. She was a solider, not some politicians daughter.

She stepped forwards, her entire body stiff and moving automatically. Her eyes narrowed slightly as Udina nodded and turned around. Satisifed that she had complied so easily. Yet, in her mind she was debating whether if anyone would be too upset if he wound up dead the next morning. A new Ambassador might mean a new treaty written up.

The Councillers began to speak, their voices flowing in one ear and out the other. She did as a good solider should, stood still and at the ready. Not responding to anything other than her superiors orders. She filed away important details but for the majority, she forgot what they said immediately after they said it. Damn aliens.

Why couldn't humanity just hole up in their system until they rebuild their military strength and then surge out again instead of dealing with this bullshit? Politics should never be mixed with military.

But…a war could be won with words. She knew that, and accepted it. Many of her personal wars had been settled with her ability to convince other people that her way of thinking was right, while theres was flawed. Yet, this was not how to win this war.

If she could, she would've marched right up and shoved Udina out of the way. Telling the council to remove the arranged marriage out of the treaty. Combined colonies and a large cooperative project would help the two sides get along better than having two soliders get married. Combining military strength and giving the other side intel on their culture and species would stop them from seeing each other as 'alien'.

However, she was just a solider. She didn't have an army at her back, she had herself. Right now, she wasn't armed. Her words wouldn't carry to the Turians. She knew enough about their culture that if she spoke out of turn they might see that as a weakness of the humans and exploit it. She had to keep her cool, pretend that all her anger was directed to the fact that she had to marry a Turian, when all her anger was directed at Udina and the principle of the situation.

He was stripping away her control slowly by doing this, combining her life with another's, making her humanities puppet in a fucked up game.

"Do both of you agree to this match?" the asari councillor spoke up.

There was her way out. She just need to take it. As she opened her mouth to speak, she heard the Turian, Vakarian, speak up.

"Of course," his voice was curt, and his tone was near sarcasm. He glanced over at her, "but, if my…_finacee_ has objections…that's another thing."

Looking over at him, she saw a shockingly human facial expression on the alien. A look of angry pleading. Begging her to object. However, doing so would leave a bitter taste in her mouth now. If she objected, then they would be seen as cowardly. A solideer not being brave enough to spend the rest of her life with a Turian, let alone five minutes. She gritted her teeth and looked back to the council.

"How could I say no?" she checked her tone before she sneered the words out, going for a more neutral tone. Concealing just how deep her anger ran. She didn't want the Turians to see her anger as any sort of weakness. She needed to be the cool headed solider she was on the front lines, the one that people respected or feared.

The councillor's said a few more words before adjourning the meeting. The two turned and left from sight, and once they were gone, anger murmurs began to rise from the crowds.

Jane did a 180 degree turn and made a beeline for the elevator. Her anger and frustration putting speed to her steps and when she reached the elevator, she had realized that she ignored Anderson and Kaidan's calls to her, but she didn't give a damn. Talking was not what she needed to do right now. She wanted – no, needed to hit something. Her fingers ached and her arm felt tense.

The elevator doors opened and she stepped on, the others were still too far away to make it to the elevator before she hit a button, any button to take her away from this place.

A hand shot out and stopped the doors from fully closing, they automatically opened to prevent an accident from occurring. Udina stepped onto the elevator, his expression cultured and calm. He hit a button that would take him to the citadel embassies before linking his hands behind his back. The doors slid closed.

The moment they did, Udina spoke up. "Here I thought you'd put up a bigger fight, I'm surprised you didn't."

"Oh, the fight hasn't even started," she snarled, turning towards him and jabbing a finger into his chest. He flinched and she felt petty satisfaction, "What the hell was that bullshit? It's well known in the Alliance that Kaidan and I are in a relationship, and have been since nearly the start of the damnable war. There are other more available soliders out there."

"None are you," Udina replied, his voice was smug and it made her wish that she could wipe it off his face without dealing with major recupptions. "Besides, if the Major had wanted to propose, he would've done so already. You are highly respected amongst the Alliance, even for your brutal ways, and the Turian military respect your strategies even if they are being used against their own people."

"There are other well respected admirals who are single," Jane reasoned, "It would make more sense if they were the ones in this position, and it would be less hazardous to your health if they were in this position."

"You don't scare me," he sneered, his eyes narrowing, "You talk big outside of a battlefield, but yet you don't and wouldn't do a thing to follow up those actions."

"Get someone else to dance to your tune, Ambassador, or this time my big talk will become more than talk. I can always make an exception to my rules," she lowered her voice, threatening him. If he needed something more…pointed, she had come up with enough scenarios that would do well enough to scare him into submission.

The elevator doors opened before she could issue any more threats, however, and in front of a crowd, she didn't want to show dissent. The human fleets were already thin enough as it was, if another species decided that the humans were nothing but a bunch of war mongrers who fought amongst themselves, then it would be the end of the brief human race.

He stepped off, probably expecting her to continue on to wherever she was heading, but instead she followed. He headed further into the embassies and she followed silently, waiting until they were alone to continue his threats. If threats didn't work, she knew that yelling at people generally helped speed things along.

Finally, he entered a room that over looked the presidium. It was fairly bare besides a desk, chair, and terminal.

"I don't know what you expect me to do, you did agree to this yourself. The council would have that recorded for legal reasons," his smug look as he sat down had her starting to raise her arm to punch him when the doors hissed open.

Kaidan and Anderson stormed in, well the former stormed in. Anderson walked in behind him, angry but not storming. Kaidan glared at the ambassador, hatred pouring out of every seam.

"Shepard isn't some object you can bid and sell when you feel like it, Udina."

"See? You have no support here, Udina. I'm sure even the Turian's would be overjoyed if we stopped this absurdity from happening," Jane waved a hand to the side, "Whatever you think you can gain from this marriage won't work. Find someone else."

"So, you refuse to marry Commander Vakarian?" Udina leaned back, touching the tips of his fingers together in a steeple. He regarded her cooly, "You refuse to do your duty as a solider and fulfill the terms of the treaty? If the treaty breaks, then we'll return to war. If you refuse, Shepard, then I have no choice but to title you as a war mongerer who threw a weakened military back against the galaxies strongest military. How fast do you think they'll strip you of your ship, your crew, your dignity? Your titles removed. It won't be an honourable discharge. Maybe they'll be kind enough to let you live out the rest of your life as a poor begger woman like you use to be-"

"That's too far, Udina!" Anderson interrupted the man sharply. "Do not threaten to remove her from her position when you don't have the power to do that."

"You're a representive not our leader," Kaidan agreed, crossing his arms, "It would be easier to replace you than the Captain here."

"I can't do it personally, no, but I can present the evidence to the board, and theye will make the connections. Shepard's incarceration will be all on her shoulders, if she refuses, then she starts another war before the first one is fully ended. We're just at a cease fire right now, until all ships get the word to pull back to their own systems, we're walking a fine line."

Jane's jaw clenched. His threats cut too deep. They used their claws and dug into her flesh and clenched tight. Everything she worked so hard for drained out of her without a few short words. If she and Udina were at war, he was winning. His words were more cultured and perfected than hers would be. He was skilled at this kind of battle.

"Then we'll defend her. She doesn't want the war to continue, they'll listen to us."

"Will they?" Udina asked, and Jane's eyes closed. He had them.

"No, they won't. You both are too close personally to be able to have any say in such a meeting. It will be based on facts, and you have nothing to prove otherwise besides words. My refusal of this would be as much evidence as the board would need to finally strip away my titles," Jane's entire body went numb, the tension in her muscles drained away as she realized that she was up against a rock and a hard place. There was nothing she could do. Not immediately at least.

Udina grinned, and he stood up. "See, once you stop being a ruthless killer, you can see the bigger picture."

"Yeah, I can. I can also see that you're a sad lonely old man who gets off on being able to one up people. How the hell you got to be Ambassador will baffle me. If I do end up befriending my fiancé, then I'm sure you'll find some Turian talons in your gut in the future. It's either that, or my gun to your head. Either way, I will get you back for taking my life away from me," she promised before turning on her heel and leaving the room. Her anger returning just as swiftly as it left.

This wasn't over. It wouldn't be over until she got him back for this. That she could promise herself.

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><p><strong>AN: **I'll be updating this story every Sunday (fingers crossed) and while I'm pretty sure where this story is going to go, I'd like to hear what you guys want to read about in this situation.

Leave a review with suggestions!


	3. Personal Conflict

"You're marrying a Turian?" Chakwas blurted out, her surprise evident as she stared at Jane. The woman yanked off her button up uniform and tossed it onto the chair opposite in the med bay. "I don't suppose he proposed?"

That got a dry look before Jane buried her face in her hands, "I'm so pissed off. I have basically my entire life planned out for me by the Council. I'm to be married to Vakarian within the next couple months, they debated whether or not to force us to have two distance ceremonies to honour both cultures or to have one and blend them. So, now we have to go to Earth and be married there and then go to Palaven, his world, to be 'joined' in his culture so it's official. Then we're on leave for half a year to live together on the Citadel where we'll be doing official reports and making sure that both sides are doing as the treaty is said."

Chakwas shook her head, "That's ridiculous. Arranged marriages stopped completely at the beginning of the 22nd century. Who suggested it?"

"Udina," Jane bit out, "That son of a bitch. He acted so proud afterwards. If it wasn't for Anderson, I would've knocked him out."

The woman sighed, "I thought you would've put up a bigger fuss than this, Jane."

"I tried to, but Udina threatened to ground my ship and inform Admiral Hackett and the others that I was vying for a continuation of the war because I'm 'blood thirsty'," she spat out, "Ever since that one mission I've been declared ruthless, my reputation was put on the line but they decided that my skills are more useful during a war. It will work to his plan; the board will think I want to continue to fight against the Turians. I'll be court-martialled and relieved of my ship, crew, and everything I've worked so hard to try for."

Chakwas' brow furrowed before she reached into one of the cupboards. "That is horrible, how did that man become our Ambassador with politics like that?"

"Well, as Machiavelli said: 'Politics have no relation to morals.' I'm pretty sure Udina has no morals…" Jane said, rubbing her face as frustration continued to build in her stomach. The sound of liquid being poured filled the med bay and Chakwas held out a glass of Serrice Ice Brandy. She grabbed her glass and down the liquid, ignoring the burn.

"Did this Vakarian approve of this?"

"I don't think so, I can't tell what Turian facial expressions mean but I think he was just as pissed off as I was. Meaning this won't be a happy marriage…and god damn it, why am I even still considering this? I could very well go and demand to leave Council space. I'd rather live running from the Alliance rather than spend the rest of my life with a Turian."

A sigh escaped her lips and she stared at some of the medical beds. The moment the meeting was done, she had turned and left the room. Ignoring Kaidan and Anderson's calls to her. They seemed furious as well when they finally caught up to her, but the moment Udina found them, she wheeled on him. Demanding answers and demanding that he figure out someone else to dance to his tune. Once he threatened her, Kaidan and Anderson tried to defend her but she knew that if Udina did bring this to the board, they wouldn't listen to Anderson or Kaidan. They were too close; they wouldn't even be allowed to have any involvement in the case. Once she told Udina exactly what she thought of him, she headed as fast as she could for her ship and then went to Chakwas. What she needed was alcohol in her system. The faster it got into her blood, the faster she could try to forget what had happened.

She sighed, and gave the woman an apologetic look, "At least you won't have to worry about me living with you anymore."

"I've never worried about that, Jane, if I were to be completely honest, I've entirely enjoyed the days you've spent in my home. Don't worry about this marriage, you'll either learn to love him or you'll learn to put up with him in the very least."

Jane pulled a face, "Love a Turian? Like I'd ever do that. God, I feel sick just knowing that I have to share an apartment with someone I've basically been trying to kill for the last six years! I need to just get away from this all," she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, "but I don't think the Alliance has any missions for me to do, and even if they did I've probably been grounded until they're sure I won't run off."

The door to the med bay hissed open and Anderson walked in; it closed shortly behind him and turned red as it relocked. Chakwas lifted the brandy but the man shook his head. "Jane, I got in contact with Admiral Hackett, he was just as surprised about this as all the others. No one agrees with this."

"I think it's a bit past the point where disagreeing with it will stop it from happening. Udina and the Turian Ambassador signed the document. It's legally binding."

"Your name wasn't on the document. There's still a way out."

"How?" she asked, "By getting someone else to marry Vakarian? That'll be condemning another human to him. You heard Udina, he chose me and he wants me to go through with this or I'll lose everything I've worked so hard to get."

"So…you want to go through with this," Anderson didn't state it as a question, but Jane knew he wasn't stating it as a fact either.

"I'd be more willing to marry an ugly krogan than a bird, but I suppose I don't have much choice in the matter."

"They are our allies now, and using slurs is counterproductive, Jane. If you truly see no other chose, then I will tell you this. If the Turians make any sort of move that is against the treaty and it looks like the war is to reignite, you are to execute Vakarian."

Jane ducked her head at the scolding but it immediately perked back up as she was informed of her task. Morally, she thought it was questionable. Killing her husband? Ugh. She had to stop thinking about him like that. He wasn't her husband yet and she didn't know even after she was married to him that she would be able to consider him her spouse. The thought was awful.

The thing about Vakarian, however, was that she never met him before and it was easy to theoretically agree to it. So, she did. Anderson looked like he wanted to take back what he said, but he didn't. Instead he squeezed Jane's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Jane. If it was my decision I would have never included that in the list of demands. The Council and the Turians should've rejected it."

Jane released a breath; "Maybe if Kaidan had proposed sooner…" she trailed off bitterly.

Chakwas and Anderson shared a look. Chakwas reached forwards and placed her hand on the woman's knee. "Don't worry about the past and look to the future."

"A future where I'm thrust into a loveless marriage, have to be on shore leave for six months, and be in a marriage that even if I do end up feeling comfortable in I won't be able to have children when I'm ready? Yeah, the future looks much better than the past."

Standing up, she downed her third glass and shook her head. "Sorry, I'm not much company. We'll stay here for a week; get any repairs and upgrades we need done. I doubt the Council wants me going far, but if we're allowed to leave at the end of a week, we'll return to Earth."

With that, she turned and left the room. The hiss of the med bay doors as they closed behind her had a sense of finality, and it filled her with dread. The elevator ride up to the CIC where her quarters were seemed to take forever, and she moved as fast as she could to the room to avoid the pity in the people's eyes as she walked past. Once her door was closed she slid down it and stared at the ceiling.

This was all so fucked up.

Hours before she was dating Kaidan, as in love with him as she could be with only seeing him every couple months, they served on different ships after all. Major now, she reminded herself, he didn't bother to inform her of his promotion. That cut her in a way that she didn't think she could be. It was ridiculous, of course there were bigger things to worry about rather than just some simple promotion when the Turians were attacking them. After all, there was always a fight to be fought, or someone to be killed. There was barely enough time for her to send off a message to him, and he even said, she didn't ask.

Though, she wanted him to tell her these things. She had wanted him to be excited to tell her, and wanted him to have rushed towards her and pull her into a hug when he saw her on the Citadel. There were so many wants but he hadn't done anything to give her them. She bitterly wondered what it would've been like if he had proposed to her, where they would've settled down, where they would've raised kids. She wondered if they would've come to live on the same ship until the end of the war or if they would've still served on separate ships and just suffered through the torment of being separate from each other.

Now, she was marrying a man she didn't know, who seemed as angry about the arrangement as she was. What was worse was they didn't share the same culture, the same foods, the same language. The only thing she had in common with Garrus Vakarian was number of kills, and nothing pissed her off more. They were putting together two people together as a power play, sticking two dangerous soldiers into the same space for a lengthy stretch of time.

What were they thinking?

Couldn't it have been two politicians? Someone people knew?

It was a bitter thought when she realized the answer. No. They couldn't. They needed someone who had scarcely any qualms about killing someone in the name of the Alliance. That was her.

Ever since she had killed surrendering Turians and sent some of her men to die, she was called 'Ruthless'. Yet, they didn't know the entire story. The men who went in weren't suppose to die, it was suppose to be a routine Intel search, no Turians were suppose to be in that outpost, that was what she was informed. She and a few others had waited outside, planning the next part of the mission when she heard the screams. By the time she got inside, her team had been ripped apart, the Turians shot at them, but most were slaughtered by the now angry and ready marines. The few that were left tried to surrender, but Jane knew that the ones who were sent in would've tried to surrender; they were recruits and hadn't been battle hardened yet. She gave each of those Turians a clean death, which she could've turned into gruesome deaths like they gave her team, but she didn't.

Sending in her report, she was recalled to Earth and nearly court-martialled for that. The board was trying to keep the war as black and white as possible. Killing on battlefields. Not killing surrendering soldiers. If there was to be peace, they wanted the Turians to look at the humans as if they were defending themselves or fighting against them. Not slaughtering their people like beasts.

However, the story got out and the 'minor' details were erased. People wanted a ruthless killer; they wanted someone that would get the job done. Men and women signed up under her, wanting to be led to glory. Citizens thought that she would protect them and not care about the damn birds in the slightest. She would do everything it took to get the job done.

Now, the citizens had been looking up to a woman who would be marrying a Turian. Those who served under her would would be serving on a ship beside a woman who would be marrying one of the enemies.

A bitter laugh escaped her throat.

Part of her was scared of this entire…endeavour. To be forced to marry someone she didn't love was one thing, she didn't care. However, she was being forced to marry someone whose kind she had been killing. Living with him would take all her self-restraint to stop herself from reacting violently if he scared her or if she was nervous about a situation. The whole prospect was daunting, and not just on a personal level. She had to make it work, the peace of the war depended on it.

To see a Turian and Human coexisting and getting along was what her people needed, even if it was a political match.

A sigh was all it took before she stood up. Self-pity and anger wasn't going to get her anywhere.

First, she needed to clear her head, brandy and anger was clouding it up to much for her to do anything. Second, she wanted to get out of her dress blues and into something more suitable for walking around the Citadel. Lastly, she needed to find out where Kaidan went off to. They needed to talk about it. What Anderson said was true, they needed to end it. As much as she didn't want to, they had to. For the sake of their people. They were Alliance first, lovers second.

Hopefully, he saw it the same way.

A quick trip to the showers, an icy shower, helped to calm her down and rid some of the affects of the alcohol from her system, when she got to the airlock; she was wearing civvies and sending a message to Kaidan to meet her at a restaurant to talk about it. Wearing her civvies, she hoped neither Turian nor Human would recognize her besides those closest to her. It wasn't like she was famous, but if someone who knew about her future marriage saw her with a human...things could get out of hand.

The rumor mill was quite dangerous at times.

Leaving her ship and moving around the Citadel was easier than she thought it was going to be. She had already been put through immigration the moment her ship had docked, recognizing her as Alliance and human, and giving her clearance to most sections of the Citadel. Thankfully, it wasn't as long as a process as some would claim, though she didn't have to go to the immigration office and do a shit ton of paperwork to be able to go through.

After talking to Avina, her Omni-tool was updated with a map of the Citadel, and imputing the coordinates gave her a route to the restaurant where she would be meeting Kaidan.

The thought of meeting up with him should've made her move faster, a smile on her lips, but it just made her drag her feet and feel worry building in her chest. What if he didn't show up, or if he didn't see the situation the same way as she did.

It was all giving her a headache, one she didn't want to have.

A beep came from her Omni-tool, announcing a message. A reply from Kaidan.

_Shepard,_

_I agree we have a lot to talk about…good meeting place; the Apollo Café is apparently very diverse in what it offers. Maybe we'll get to eat something from Earth?_

_-Kaidan_

She resisted to snort. It was a huge long shot to hope that the Citadel offered food for humans when they were the first humans on the Citadel. However, she appreciated his optimism. For what was to come, she'd need all the optimism she could get.


	4. Five Years Ended

The restaurant was simple and clean, and an Asari waitress led her to a table overlooking the presidium. The woman handed her a menu. As the Asari began to leave the table, Jane called her back. After admitting she didn't recognize any of the dishes, the waitress suggested some foods that a human might find appetizing. Jane thanked her and ordered some water, saying she'd wait until her companion got there to order the food. The Asari bowed and left to another table.

It was calming staring out into the artificial simulated daylight as the shuttles and cars whizzed past. The view was great, and fake plants lined the window, giving the restaurant a more natural feel that the Citadel lacked. If she were sitting on the balcony, she wouldn't feel wind or sun on her face however, and that would've killed the calm and naturalness that the inside gave her. It would've been replaced with the knowledge that it was all fake and a lie. In her moment of bliss, she was able to ignore everything and focus on the shuttles.

A few minutes was all it took before someone settled into the chair across from her, she turned her attention away from the window to her companion. Kaidan gave her a forced smile, one that didn't reach his eyes. Before she could utter out a word, the waitress returned and handed him the menu and took his drink order. Once the Asari got it, she promised to return shortly and flitted off.

"Shepard, about this…whole thing, I honestly can't believe Udina choose you, it's an outrage really," Kaidan sighed, leaning forwards, one of his hands reaching across the table to squeeze hers. Returning the gesture, she offered him a strained smile of her own.

"I agree. It's bullshit! Arranged marriages, for politics? Hell, why not kill me now? I'm not a political person; I can barely talk to my superiors without biting back remarks and forcing myself to be nice. Now I have to marry a Turian?" She snorted, "If I had to settle down with any other species, why not one that had a sense of humor and actually looked human instead of a bird?" she lowered her voice; she didn't want to get kicked out of the restaurant for racist remarks.

"Then fight back, demand them to change their minds. If anyone can do it, it's you, Shepard. You've fought tooth and nail to be where you are, and I think marrying this Turian is just going to be a setback. Anderson and I can help you."

Jane chewed her lip. The offer was so tantalizing and she wanted nothing more than to grasp at it. Take control of the situation. Situations she couldn't control scared her.

Yet, what came out of her lips wasn't what she wanted to say, but needed to tell him, "You heard Udina. For the sake of my military career I have to stay true to this plan. You're right; I've fought tooth and nail to get here. I can't just throw it away because I think it's unfair or barbaric or unsettling to marry a Turian, especially forced," she replied with a sigh and ran her thumb over his knuckles, her eyes sliding from his face to his hand. "Anderson is right, Kaidan, we have to stop seeing each other."

Silence greeted her words, and she refused to look up from his hands. They had been together since shortly after the war started and before she started her N7 training, they met on shore leave and had started dating shortly after. It was around five years now. Five years of praying their shore leaves matched up so they could go on dates and spend time together. Hoping that the other still felt the same after missions and death changed them, and so far they still felt the same. Jane just wished that he had proposed sooner.

"Jane…" Kaidan finally said, the words sounded tight, "Why aren't you fighting?"

"Sometimes fighting won't get you anywhere," she replied, "If I were to fight, I would lose everything I've worked hard to get," unbidden memories surfaced but she pushed them down immediately. Now wasn't the time or place to remember them. There was silence, she could feel the tension in his hand and knew he was upset. When she spoke, her words were whispered, "Please understand, Kaidan."

He squeezed her hand, "You've still got a while until…" he trailed off, and then bit out the words, "You're married."

"It'll be easier on both of us if we end this now."

"Anderson said nothing about us breaking up before the marriage," he insisted, desperate to keep their relationship going till the bitter end, "We'll break it off just before the wedding and part ways as friends, for the sake of this war. For now, let's just ignore the fact that you're getting married against your will and live our lives."

"Anderson won't be happy with us, and what if we're caught?" Jane was skeptical about this. As much as she wanted to just end it and walk out, quick and clean, she couldn't. There was too much…history between them. To be so cold and brutal about her relationship was just more than she was able to handle. Sure, she could kill someone without a second thought on a battle field, but she couldn't hurt someone's feelings off the battle field without regretting it for a while.

The waitress came with Kaidan drink and took their orders. Once she was gone, Jane took a sip of her water. The ice had nearly melted and the sides were covered with condensation, she swiped at the side with her thumb and stared at the water. Anything to avoid looking at him.

"To hell what would make Anderson happy, Jane, and how can something be morally wrong if you're making the best of a situation that itself is morally wrong? What do you want?"

"I don't want to get married to a Turian," _I want to marry you_. She wanted to say the words, but didn't know how he would react to them. If he said that once things settled down they could, then that would be a promise that might never happen. If he said yes, and wanted it done quickly, then she wouldn't know if it was him trying to keep her away from the Turians rather than a real want to marry her. If he said no…she shoved the thoughts aside.

Kaidan released her hand and pressed his fingers under her chin to lift her gaze to meet his. "What else?"

_You._

"To end this war."

Those weren't the words he wanted to hear, not in this context at least. His touch left her and she craved it immediately. "Till your wedding, Jane, please, we've been together for five years. We don't need to throw this away so readily," he lowered his voice. She saw the pure emotion, the begging in them. He didn't want this to end just as much as she did.

"Kaidan…I'm Alliance first. You've told me that you are too. We have to do our duty, even if it's being forced upon us. I'm sorry even if the last five years of this war has been filled with some happiness thanks to you, but I cannot throw away everything I've worked so hard my entire life for you."

His hand moved away from her skin immediately, as if she had stung him. The words were said, and she regretted them. Wanted to say it wasn't true…but she realized, it was. If he asked her to stop working for the military and settle down on Earth or some colony, she would refuse. She wouldn't put her life on hold for him in any way. Even if she loved him.

"Shepard, you're abandoning any sort of life after retirement for this. It's too much for the Alliance to force on you. Why aren't you fighting?"

"I know when to fight, and when to give in. I tested the waters to see if I could fight and I could tell I will drown if I fight. In a couple years, maybe the peace will stay there because of something greater than superficial political movements and because our people want or need to be allies. When that happens, then I can leave Vakarian. I can live my life, but until that moment. I need to think of my future, and going against this will take everything I want in my future away."

"So, you don't want me in your future?" Kaidan asked, his voice growing bitter. He looked away from her. "After everything we've been through, you want to let it go because of one man's stupidity?"

"Kaidan…"

His eyes hardened and she could tell he wanted to yell, but instead his voice was quiet when he spoke, "I…I'd rather be alone right now…Shepard…" the man stared out the window, no longer addressing her.

Jane pressed her lips together before standing. Without another word to him she walked away.

God. Her entire life was just tilted head over heels and poured out onto the floor. Everything she knew had changed in little over a day, and she was unsure of how her life was going to look like after.

Those thoughts consumed her as she left the restaurant and started to follow her Omni-tool's map to the shuttle to take her back to the docking bay.

It wasn't until she stepped off the shuttle and stared at the Iliad that she thought differently.

Her marriage to the Turian would be part of her life, sure, but once the 'probationary' period is over with, she was still an Alliance solider. She would still fight and go on missions. She wouldn't stay in one place for very long. Her whole life wouldn't revolve around her marriage; it would revolve around her place as Captain. She was her own person, and she wouldn't let her life be defined by whomever she ended up with.

It was time to get shit done. The faster she got the next six months done, the faster she could return to active duty and away from her forced life.

The first thing she needed to get done was to start…whatever this was off with a clean slate. That meant erasing all evidence of her romance with Kaidan. She didn't want to see the picture of him in her cabin and instantly be reminded of her relationship with him, and crave his touch or to hear his voice.

As she stepped into the decontamination chamber, she opened her Omni-tool and started typing up a list of things she needed to get done in the next week. Most of it was ship maintenance. The last fight the Iliad was in against the Turian's had nearly ended with a large gaping hole in the hull. Thankfully for the shields she had held up against the fight. Though, neither side had won because a galaxy wide broadcast of a cease fire for both sides. If it hadn't of gone through at that exact moment, Shepard was under no delusions that the Iliad would've been blown apart and her crew sucked out into the void.

Once the doors opened and revealed the interior of the ship, she moved on automatic. Her XO headed straight for her, explaining all the repairs that needed to happen and how much it was going to cost. She approved all of the repairs, and as she made to make her rounds, Pressly stopped her.

"Captain, the Alliance has sent a message about…retrofits. They'll be working with Turian's to refit this vessel as collaboration between our two species," he explained, his distaste for the Turian's evident in his face and tone. She nodded curtly.

"Is there any concept of the retrofits within the message?"

"None, ma'am, they'll be sending a representative over within the week with more information."

"Thank you, Pressly, return to your duties," she dismissed him and continued on her way. Now with the added information that her ship was about to be defiled by Turian upgrades, her problems just kept adding up.

The rest of the day was spent talking to the crew, seeing if they needed anything before their shore leave started. Anything they wanted changed on the ship, asking them their plans for shore leave.

It wasn't until the crew filed off the ship to actually begin their shore leave that Shepard retired to her quarters and stripped off her shirt.

She stared at the fabric in her hands. The black tee-shirt. Her thumb grazed over the cotton and then let it fall to the floor of her cabin. Walking over to her closet, she pulled out a larger white shirt and held the fabric to her nose. The faintest smell of cologne and sweat filled her nose and she felt tears prickle in her eyes. Roughly she tossed the shirt onto the ground and pulled out two more articles of clothing. A sweater and a pair of pants. They formed a puddle of fabric by her feet.

The rest of her quarters got the same treatment. Photos were tossed onto the pile, memories and cheap gifts were added. More expensive items were placed neatly onto the table beside her terminal. She would pack them up and have them delivered to Kaidan's ship before he left after his shore leave was finished.

Scooping the pile up, her body shook slightly as she headed towards the garbage shoot and shoved them into the slot. The tears that had prickled at the corners of her eyes earlier were starting to blur her vision as she got rid of the last few pieces of evidence that Kaidan had made himself present in her life in such a way. Turning around after the slot clamped shut, she took a deep breath in hopes to shove the tears away and stared at her quarters.

It was so empty.

So much of her life had become intertwined with Kaidan, even if she hadn't realized it. Gifts and pieces of him had ended up in her quarters. Everything that she owned would fill a foot locker still. She would be able to toss it all in a pack on her back if she needed to abandon her ship for whatever reason. The papers that were beside her terminal she would leave in an instant, the books were merely to keep herself from falling asleep on the nights where she just feared to fall asleep in case the Turian's attacked the ship. Hell, if she had to really narrow it down the only personal thing she would grab would be the photo of her 17th birthday, a year after Chakwas had taken her in.

Jane picked the photo up, Chakwas and Anderson where smiling as she blew out the candles. The girl in the photo was still skinny from malnourishment. Her hair was cut close to her scalp. A tattoo over the top of her right ear read 'survive', in the last stages of healing. Jane reached up and brushed ran her fingers through her hair where the tattoo still lay. She was stronger now, but she needed the reminder, even if she could no longer see it.

Her Omni-tool flashed and beeped as a call came through. Jane placed down the photo and checked who was calling.

Udina.

The name left a bitter taste in her mouth, as she grumbled it out. Part of her wanted to ignore the call, and claim that she never received anything. Make up some bullshit of not being synced to the Citadel network properly and therefore it must've gotten lost somewhere along the way.

Instead, she answered it against her better judgement

The orange glow shifted and a hologram of Udina stood in front of her. His permanent sneer seemed to intensify when he looked at her. Jane was sure her face wasn't all that welcoming in return. Maybe he wouldn't be too angry if she hung up on him.

"Shepard."

"Udina, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"This whole event has a schedule, Shepard. Ambassador Orinia and I have worked out what each day will entail until your upcoming wedding on Earth. I will send you a copy of the schedule. Tomorrow, we will be meeting Commander Vakarian and Ambassador Orinia for lunch, the Ambassador and I have some things to work out still, and you have to meet your future husband."

There was smugness in his voice that made her grit her teeth. "Lucky me."

The smugness faded, and his voice was irritated when he replied, "You will act civilized, Shepard. No slights, no insults, not slurs, not a negative word will leave your mouth towards the Turians."

"Why not just tell me not to say anything?"

"Good idea," Udina's hologram crossed his arms, "You will introduce yourself, make a bit of small talk and then you will shut your mouth. There's no reason for you to speak. All you will do is make an embarrassment out of us."

"Oh, goody," Jane's eyebrow rose, "My future husband will see me as a meek and shy woman; he'll wonder where the hell the real Shepard went and what this copycat is doing in her place."

"Don't get smart with me. Just do as I say, and maybe it'll stop you from restarting a war!"

Before he could say anything, she disconnected the call and sat down on her bed. She shoved her hands through her hair and snarled out some choice words. He made it so hard to try to stay political or neutral about the situation. She wondered idly if he was trying to force her to fuck up the situation just so the war could continue. If she was blamed for the war continuation then he would be absolved. A snort came from her mouth. That would usurp him from his spot as Ambassador. He seemed too stuck up for her to consider that fact. Her Omni-tool beeped and she received the list of dates that she needed to attend. She exhaled heavily and looked over the list. Wedding planning. A sigh left her mouth. So much for shore leave.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** For those of you wondering, there will be a Garrus POV after the next chapter! (Hopefully I wrote him correctly, I'm probably going to double check 80 times to make sure)

Also, I'm starting NaNoWriMo again this year, so this will be on the back burner compared to my project for that, but I still have 2 chapter written up for this story, I'll make sure to write for this still.

Thanks for the positive and supportive reviews!


	5. At Least Someone's Happy

Along with the schedule Udina had also sent her the appropriate dressing style for each time. For a good deal of the events, she was supposed to be in dress blues to show her status and her medals. Other times she was just suppose to be 'dressy' only one event she was allowed to just wear civvies. With a grumble, she resisted the urge to tell him to fuck off. This was the time to create allies, not enemies.

The next morning brought a wave of temporary self pity and anger before she forced herself out of bed. A quick shower and a review of her emails delayed the inevitable. In the end, she chose to wear one of the only dresses she owned. It was either a skin tight black dress with the N7 logo on it, or a dress that one of her friends found for her. Both black. A sigh escaped her lips as she pulled on the latter.

"Kasumi would be so proud," Jane said, her lips turning up into a smile as she ran a brush through her hair. A fleeting thought made her send off a message to her old friend before glaring at her in the mirror. "Suck it up, Shepard; you're a Captain of the Alliance. You're a decorated soldier who has seen many battles. You can survive a simple lunch of being polite. For the sake of this war."

The alarm on her Omni-tool startled her out of her pep talk.

The bathroom door opened and her eyes rose to meet Anderson's. He was silent, hands clasped behind his back. "You look nice, Shepard."

"Ugh, I feel like I'm about to throw up, I don't do political lunches. Shove me and this Vakarian into a situation where I could use my gun and then we'll bond," she grumbled, and slipped on her heels. They pinched awkwardly and threw her slightly off balance for a bit. Anderson chuckled.

"I don't think that would be a great idea to start off an era of peace between our people. Udina is waiting for you in a shuttle already, unless you want to hear him complain about how late you are going to be, I suggest you head down."

"Aye, aye, sir."

"Don't go all formal on me," Anderson gave her a smile, one he had given her since she first met him to try to reassure her that everything would be fine.

"Don't go all soft on me," she returned the smile, but it wasn't as big as it should've been. He pretended not to notice as they headed for the elevator. "You're my superior after all."

"I've seen you in pajamas and snoring with chocolate on your face, I think I'm allowed to be soft."

She patted his stomach, "Then you should start doing some more crunches as well."

He simply laughed and hit the CIC button and the elevator lurched into motion.

Anderson could probably tell she was nervous, she realized, that was probably the reason he had come up to see her. Any other situation he wouldn't have. Jane wanted to just return to her quarters, fall asleep on her bed, and sleep away the next thirty years just so they would have to pick another solider to marry the Turian. That wasn't fair, and she knew it.

Before the doors opened, Anderson placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm proud of you, Shepard."

"For what?"

"Going through with this, it's a lot on your shoulders."

"It's not like it was my choice," she murmured, trying to brush off his words. Anderson squeezed her shoulder as the doors opened.

"I know, Shepard. Maybe it's you growing up, maybe part of you just accepts this, but you're taking this in stride. There's still the choice to find a way out of this," Anderson finished as the doors opened, "Otherwise, you don't want to be late."

"I've made up my mind to go through with this. It's either survive six months of not being on a ship, or probably the rest of my life. This seems like the lesser of two evils. Anyways…when are you meeting him?" Jane asked, wanting to see if the man who had been there for her for nearly thirteen years approved of her future husband. Even if she didn't like the man, she could at least accept him if Anderson or Chakwas did.

"The wedding, probably, I'm not your legal guardian."

Disappointment flooded through her, but she curtly nodded and gave him a weak salute before turning on her heels and striding towards the airlock. It was time to suffer through a long lunch date with a man she didn't know, a man she hated, and a woman who probably seriously disliked , her chances of getting through the lunch without feeling threatened near the point of violence were slim. The chances of her not saying something that would end her in the dog house even slimmer. She had never been the kind to not speak her mind.

She would much rather be with Kaidan right now, at least he would tell jokes and ease any tension from her. He would talk and make her feel comfortable. Jane shook her head sharply, no. They broke up. Kaidan was not someone she could lean on anymore, if he ever was to her. She had to deal with this herself.

She didn't know any of her companions for lunch today. The Captain didn't do well in front of complete strangers when she had to be friendly. If she was on a mission, she was completely fine. That was why each of her crew was handpicked by her and she always took the time to get to know them, and know them well. The anxiety that was building in her stomach grew worse as she stepped off the ship. Breathing in deeply, she forced herself to think of this as a mission. An undercover mission, anything than what it actually was.

Udina was waiting in nearly the exact same spot as he was when they took the shuttle to the actual clasped his hands behind his back. "Turians like punctuality. If we're late, they might take it as a slight." A scowl formed on her face, instantly matching his look. She wanted to tell him where the Turian's could shove their punctuality.

"We aren't going to be late, with the length of the shuttle ride, we'll be early," Shepard replied tersely, "Now, Udina, let's move out."

On the ride over, Udina went over a few more different ways that Shepard should act. She largely ignored them. It didn't matter what the Ambassador expected of her. Either way, she would probably fall back into the normal routine of dining with her superiors. Proper manners, being polite, and making small talk, and if they decided to shift the topic away from her. All the better. If Vakarian was offended by her speech or way of doing things when being polite, then she would know there was no way they could get along.

"Above all, smile. We don't want to intimidate the Turians if you're scowling all night long. Besides, we want you to seem pretty."

The comment made her blood hot and her fingers curled into fists on her lap. He ignored her adverse reaction, continuing to give her unneeded advice. She wasn't going to smile just to impress a man, especially if it was a Turian. If the man was too scared of her because she didn't smile, that was his fault. She could survive living with a man who was scared of her.

They began to descend to the parking structure of the restaurant. The driver didn't say anything as Udina passed him a credit chit and paid for the transfer before getting out. Shepard took a deep breath before following after him.

Time to get this over with.

A jolt ran down her spine as she stepped into the restaurant, immediately she recognized the place. Kaidan took her there the previous day. Instantly she wondered if Udina was keep tabs on her and was trying to subtly threaten her. Glaring at the back of his head, she checked her Omni-tool for any hacking programs or anything of the sort. She was consumed with the task that she bumped into someone while followed Udina. As she stumbled, the person reached out a hand to steady her.

"Sorry, wasn't looking where I was going," she apologized with a sheepish smile as she lowered her arm and her Omni-tool flicked off. As her eyes looked up to who she bumped into she saw blue eyes, but they were alien. The Turians mandibles flared, she was unsure what it meant when they did that, and he nodded.

"It's alright," he said softly before turning to the female Turian who was beside him and said something too quiet for her translator to catch. The two of them headed into the restaurant. Shepard looked to see if she could find Udina, and he was glaring at her from the door to the restaurant. With a sigh she jogged over, a clumsy and awkward thing to do in heels when she was used to combat boots.

"You're going to screw this up," Udina hissed at her, "Why I chose you will forever haunt me."

"I'll make sure it does," Shepard hissed back, but kept her face neutral. No one needed to see dissent between the Ambassador and one of the Captains of the human fleets. It wouldn't translate well for the future alliances they would have to make with the other aliens.

They were led out to a private booth at the back of the restaurant, far away from where she had lunch with Kaidan. The booth was sound proofed, and one large window gave them a magnificent view of the presidium lakes. She was so enraptured by the view that she nearly missed Udina introducing her properly to the Turians. When she immediately snapped to attention when her name was said, she met the eyes of her future husband.

Blue.

The Turian from outside.

She didn't know the protocol for meeting your future husband, but apparently the Turian assumed what to do, or knew. He extended his hand towards her, but his eyes were less friendly than they were outside. She shook his hand firmly once before recoiling from his touch and turning her attention to the Ambassador. Another firm handshake and she linked her fingers behind her back.

Once the introductions were out of the way, the Ambassadors slid into one side of the booth. Vakarian sat down, not meeting her gaze and moving before she could ask him where he would rather sit. His rudeness rubbed her the wrong way, but she realized that he was horrible at concealing his emotions. When she sat down, she could feel his impatience and nervous tension pooling off his body. He was like a tightly wrapped coil.

The waitress came and went, and immediately the two Ambassadors got to business, ignoring the two soon-to-be-wed and very awkward soldiers sitting across from them. Shepard's fingers twitched, as she sent Udina a glare before she adjusted her skirt and crossed her legs, just to uncross them. God. Udina had it lucky; he hadn't been a part of the war. He would never understand what it would feel like to have at one point killed a Turian that was as close as both the Ambassador and Vakarian were to her, but now being unable to do so. Her hands curled into fists before she relaxed them.

Don't let them see they're affecting you.

Their drinks came, and Shepard lifted her cup to take a drink of the liquid when a hand shot out and stopped her from doing so. She nearly snapped at whoever did it, but the look of horror from the Asari and the Ambassador made her stop. She glanced at Vakarian. "Yes?"

He swallowed and took the drink from her hand, "That's my drink."

She hesitated and the Asari apologized profusely to Shepard, at that moment she sighed and held up a hand, "It's alright, no harm done."

After the waitress took down their food orders, she apologized once more to Shepard before leaving.

When the Ambassadors began speaking again, Vakarian finally looked at her. "You would've had some of my drink," he spoke quietly.

"If you hadn't stopped me, yeah," she shrugged a shoulder, "No harm done."

"Have you ever ingested anything dexterous?" he kept his voice hushed, as if he was either trying to have a private conversation with her or trying not to be seen talking to her. Either one irritated her; she resisted the urge to cross her arms and leaned back against the booth. When she shook her head, he nodded slowly. "Do you know if you're allergic?"

"Allergic?"

"Dexterous food can cause allergic reactions to us, Shepard," Udina jumped into the conversation, his tone as if he was talking to a child. No doubt it was supposed to sound like they were on friendly terms, but all it did was make her want to hit him. Condescending asshole. "We'll get you tested before your wedding."

That reminder made her mood plummet even further than it already was. First, he belittled her in front of the Turians, and second, he reminded her of the one thing she didn't want to think of. It was much easier if she deluded herself into thinking that she was here on purely political reasons, and not the fact that she was suppose to marry the man she was sitting beside.

Orinia turned her attention to Shepard, her head tilted to the side curiously. "Do you know anything about Turian culture, Captain Shepard?"

The way it was said was not an insult, it was an actual question. The sort to test the waters. "Just the basics," she admitted, sitting straighter, "Your markings indicate your clan and lineage, your government is in the form of a hierarchy, those things."

Not within a mile of any Turian she would admit that they had figured out that by holding a Turian hostage and torturing them until they figured out about their culture to see if there were any weaknesses.

The Ambassador didn't question how she knew, and she was relieved.

"I'll send you my contact information," the Ambassador brought up her Omni-tool and synced the information to Shepard's, "I suggest you also exchanged information with Commander Vakarian. You'll be able to ask either of us any questions about your bonding ceremony on Palaven, and if we could also request you return the favour and answer our questions about the…marriage ceremony on Earth. If I understand correctly, the…what's the word?"

"Wedding," Vakarian answered gently, avoiding anyone's gaze.

"Thank you, Commander; the wedding is a much larger affair than a bonding ceremony. Though less intricate. The bonding ceremony will have Commander Vakarian's family and close friends attending, and you will invite your family and close friends."

"She doesn't have family," Udina informed the Ambassador, "Will that be a problem?"

Her fingers clenched together, and before she could stop herself, she spat out, "Can you shut up?" The three looked at her in surprise, but then Vakarian's eyes snapped to Udina and then back to her. He opened his mouth to say something, but Shepard beat him to it. "The Ambassador wasn't addressing you, Udina," she turned her attention to Orinia, "If it is appropriate, Karin Chakwas and David Anderson shall fill in as my parents since they are my guardians."

The Turian ambassador seemed pleased, "Ah, she has fire in her."

At least one person was happy with the outcome, Jane thought. Udina was glaring at her now, and her soon-to-be husband's facial expression was completely alien to her.


	6. The Groom

Garrus grumbled some not too friendly words under his breath. "This is ridiculous," he complained to anyone who would listen. His sister swatted his arm when he moved it. "It's not like anyone's going to care if it's not perfect," he bit out to Solana.

"I'm sure the Alliance superiors will notice," she reasoned, as she finished pinning the jacket to the correct size. "You've got to look suave, Garrus."

"Why are you so supportive of this crap? Bonding with a human?" he spat the word out, "If the Ambassador hadn't gotten the Primarch's approval, this wouldn't have even happened."

"If it wasn't for this, do you think Mom would ever see you bond with someone?" she asked softly, stepping back and looking her brother over for any imperfections. She slowly nodded as Garrus looked away from her. Unable to comment on her words, they hit home. "Besides, this is a step towards something greater than just ourselves. We're ending a six year long war, one that could've escalated further than it did. The humans were starting to push into our system, and we're supposed to be the strongest military. Imagine the power we'll have if we combine our forces?"

"So, you're saying I should shut up and settle for what I'm given because I won't get better?" he said dryly, dropping his arms and staring at the mirror at himself. "I look stupid."

"It's a human look, because the human wedding is before the bonding ceremony," Solana shook her head, "Garrus, be a good Turian for once in your life and just do what you're told. You've gotten this far nudging your toes outside the line to test the boundaries, but any more and you're going to get in trouble."

"If it was _any_ other human I would do this without…much complaining," he checked his wordings when she gave him a glare. "This woman is Captain Shepard, the same woman who killed our people who were _surrendering._ No one has stopped and said 'Hey, this human is a war criminal!' no, they're like 'Let's put in together with a Turian and watch the fireworks!'"

"Maybe that's what they're expecting," another voice joined into the conversation as the door hissed open. Tiberius Vakarian studied his son as both his children straightened up and nodded towards him in greeting. "Udina and Shepard did not seem to get along when I observed their interactions after the meeting. Even though they suspected they were alone. She does not seem happy with the match and you said that he seems to be goading her subtly to force her into losing her control? Perhaps some of the humans do not wish for peace."

Garrus' brow plates shifted in contemplation before tugging at the awkward clothing that adorned his body. "Then my life is in danger each moment I'm with this Shepard?"

"Yes, and if you suspect she's about to kill you, not a single Turian would look down on you for defending yourself. However, you must go through with this. This isn't about your happiness or comfort, if you wanted that you should've stayed with C-SEC instead of rejoining the military," Tiberius insisted, looking at his only son, "How much do you know about human bonding ceremonies? Will you mess up during it?"

"The only thing I do is stand in a single spot, and repeat words that the human priest will say. From the details I have gotten from the Ambassadors, they're making it a small event. Family and a few select friends and military personnel. Traditionally the ceremony is followed by a celebration of food, drinks, and music, but my 'bride' said no to that," Garrus didn't censor his bitterness when he mentioned the human. His father made no sign that he heard it besides a slight raise of his brow plates.

"Does your fiancée know about the bonding ceremony and what is expected of her?" Tiberius questioned, "Solana, have you spoken to her yet?"

Solana shook her head, "That's next week. I will board the Iliad and go with her to Earth, on our way I will explain it to her."

"You're going with her on her ship?" Garrus' head whipped towards his sister in shock, "No! That's insane!"

"General Victus and some of his platoon will be accompanying me, and I'm not defenceless, Garrus."

"I doubt the human will hurt your sister anyways."

"She slaughtered surrendering Turians."

"We've killed surrendering humans as well; we had no use for hostages. It was a part of the war; we are no longer in a war, Garrus. Unless you wish to start another one, you better get use to the idea of having a human mate," Tiberius' tone left no room for argument.

Garrus' mandibles clamped tightly to his face but he nodded. "Of course, Father."

Tiberius left the room without another word. Leaving Garrus more irritated than he was before his father made his appearance. Solana rested her hand on his shoulder, a slight comfort. After a moment she gathered her things and left the room. Once he was gone he carefully removed the tailored outfit and set it down gently.

They expected so much from him. Yet, when he saw her at the dinner he couldn't find words to say anything to her. Not anything polite and not even something rude. He was at a loss of words. She seemed so calm until she started fidgeting, but he assumed that was because the Ambassadors were ignoring them completely. How was he supposed to spend the next six months with a human that he couldn't even speak to?

They had bumped into each other outside the restaurant, and he hadn't even recognized. She was just this human in a dress who gave him what he assumed was a friendly smile and apologized. Nothing like the battle hardened war criminal he had seen standing in front of him at the meeting. Who even was the real Captain Shepard?

He ran his hand over his fringe and grumbled some more choice words.

At least he would get the opportunity to avenge those whom she had murdered. He would keep that fact close to him until he got the chance to commit the act.

His Omni-tool beeped, and he brought it up. A message.

_Vakarian._

_The Ambassador is unable to answer my question since it pertains to your clan specifically,  
>and since I do not have contact to anyone else, I am forced to speak to you about this.<em>

_What is the significance of your pattern?_

_Shepard_

Garrus frowned, staring at the message. His pattern? He glanced at the armour he had yet to put on and thought back to his clothing from the previous day. It wasn't until he glanced into the mirror he realized she meant his facial markings. He sighed. The Ambassador could've answered that. He typed away an answer, but realized it sounded to snarky. As much as he would've loved to send that out, he would rather not have to have even his messages monitored if it got out that he wasn't cooperating as much as he could.

_Shepard._

_The Ambassador lied to you. She could've answered that. _

_My sister will explain it all to you as preparation for our bonding ceremony._

_Vakarian_

Another message came through within a few seconds.

_Vakarian._

_Do all Turians avoid answering direct questions? _

_Don't answer that._

_Shepard_

That caused his eyebrow plates to rise. He created a subfolder in his inbox and directed all her future messages to it, and then labelled all of her messages as automatically 'low priority' so he wouldn't get a notification.

Humans were by default, immature. They were a new race, who just discovered FTL travel within the last century. Yet, they thought they could expand and take over new areas without any sort of regard to rules and regulations. Sure, Garrus would openly say he didn't follow a lot of rules or regulations, and didn't like red tape blocking his way. However, conquering other planets was something that he couldn't understand why such a puny race would do. They had no natural protection. Squishy and fragile creatures…

…and he was marrying one.

Part of him bitterly wished he hadn't stopped her from drinking his drink, and hoped she had been allergic. If she had died due to anaphylactic shock then it would've been her own damn fault for being so stupid.

He sat down heavily in front of his terminal and powered it up, the orange screen flickered to life and his fingers began to type away. Typing up his application for Spectre training was something he had been working on for a while. When he was young, he wanted nothing more than to be one. However, those dreams were cut in half by his father and he settled for a job in C-SEC. A job he got immediately due to his father. It was something he had come to realize and accept long after he rejoined the military to aid in the fight against the humans.

Unfortunately, the only thing writing the application did was frustrate him. It brought up his feelings towards his father, and the entire situation that he was being forced into. He closed the terminal and pulled on his armour. An hour or so at the shooting range would calm him down, he knew it. At least, it would calm him down for a while, but the situation wasn't going to go away and he knew his frustration would only surmount once again.

He grabbed his rifle and his selection of scope mods before slipping out of his hotel room and taking the elevator down. There were a few shooting ranges on the citadel, but there were only a few quality ones. He knew the best by far was most definitely in the spectre offices, and if he was looking for something extra he could go to Armax Arena. However, he didn't want to improve his reaction time within combat situation, he just wanted a time to slip into the trance of calmly lining up his shots and focusing energy on one thing. That was all he needed.

The ride to the shooting range went by slower than he anticipated but once he got there, he was pleased to find it was mostly empty. A female human and a male Turian stood at opposite sides of the range, completely ignoring each other. He recognized the Turian immediately, but didn't say anything.

Instead, he set himself up in the middle, and began preparing. His movements were methodical as he examined his rifle, making sure it was well cleaned and properly assembled. That nothing would lock or kick if he fired. After his examination he reached over to the orange pad and entered a few adjustments and the target flew back to the maximum distance.

Rolling his shoulders he set up the shot.

His breathing evened out as he stared down the scope at the center of the target. His entire focus shifted to that one spot. Nothing else mattered.

His finger shifted from where it rested to curl around the trigger and lightly pulled it. There was the familiar crack of the rifle and the slightly recoil before it stilled. He called the target back to examine it.

Pulling to the left. He refreshed the target and sent it back out.

As he was preparing for his next shot he heard another crack of a rifle and hesitated. It wasn't his gun, and he was fairly certain that the other Turian didn't use a rifle. The man was C-SEC, and for him to use a sniper rifle was fairly odd considering he was just a guard who patrolled the presidium.

He glanced over and saw that the lane that the human female was at had the target set at the same distance as his was. The shot was quickly followed by another one. He rolled his shoulders and turned his attention back to his own target.

The practice flowed smoothly. His attention entirely devoted to one thing. By the end, he had his rifle completely set to the modifications and settings that he was happy with. The last fight he had been in must've jarred the rifles settings a bit. Though, he was quite happy to adjust them even if some of the errors were so painstakingly small that it took forever to find just the right adjustment because even a hair off could cause a farther distance shot to be just off target.

As he was packing up his things, he heard someone tap on his lane's wall. Glancing over his solider he saw the Turian.

"Vakarian, didn't expect to see you here, with the whole thing with the human and all," the Turian sounded genuinely surprised. "Blowing off steam?"

"Chellick," Vakarian nodded towards his old friend from his C-SEC days. "It's not as much fun as hand-to-hand, but nothing beats the feeling of a rifle in your hands."

Chellick laughed, "I bet the war was just the thing you needed then? No more red tape and rules telling you what you can't do. Just you, that rifle, and a field."

"And endless humans running into my crosshairs," Vakarian agreed, and the other Turian chuckled, shaking his head. "What are you up to these days?"

"Same old crap, but with humans on the Citadel we now have to keep the peace between us. There's only a handful of them here, so we're tracking them, to make sure that they don't go anywhere too shady or aren't taken into some alley and left for dead."

"Most of the humans are soldiers."

"Most of the humans wander around alone," Chellick gave a pointed glance towards where the human female was still shooting. "If a group of Turians or other species weren't feeling particularly merciful, then a single solider could be overwhelmed. Especially if taken off guard."

"Did you come here because you were wondering what a human was doing at a shooting range?"

"Partially, I knew she was here, she's a high priority human, and I wanted to get some practice in," Chellick lifted his shoulders and let them drop. "If you're not going to go straight home to clean your gun or calibrate it, then let's drink to your temporary freedom."

Garrus debated it for a second before nodding, "Sounds like a plan."


	7. Reimagining the Iliad

A/N: Sorry I didn't upload last week guys, I was working and totally forgot that I didn't upload until halfway through the week.

Plus Dragon Age: Inquisition came out, and I've been playing that as much as possible, I love it so much.

Anyways, onto the story!

"The Turian Hierarchy wants to send some Turians with you to Earth aboard the Iliad," Admiral Hackett spoke in his normal confident and no nonsense tone. Jane had never been able to truly argue or question Hackett's orders before, but this? She leaned her hands on the rail before her. She gritted her teeth. "I'll send you the list of whom exactly, but I will warn you now. General Adrien Victus will be with them, as well as Solana Vakarian."

"Am I to be escorted to my own planet?" she asked, there was anger in her words but she tried to rein them in. If the Turians wanted to make sure she didn't run away, then it was an insult to her and her crew. To all of humanity if she wanted to get dramatic. They were implying that she wouldn't stand by her words.

"No, that's not why. The Primarch, as well as the Turian Councillor, tells us that in their culture, a female member of the family will help the bride prepare for the wedding. Solana Vakarian offered to board your ship alone so it wouldn't be an insult to you, but Tiberius Vakarian refused to allow her alone due to your reputation."

Jane scoffed, releasing the bar and leaning back. "So, instead, they are sending not one, but ten soldiers onto my ship? Most of my soldiers stayed on the Citadel for some damn well deserved shore leave. While most of my crew can shoot a gun, Turians are excellent at hand-to-hand combat and if they take them by surprise half of my crew could be killed before we are able to get any sort of foothold."

"If they dare attack, then it would be a declaration of war and you are given the responsibility for taking out all the soldiers, except General Victus and Vakarian. We take them prisoner and negotiate with the Turians again," the Admiral's tone and wording left no room for interpretation. No way for her to 'forget' a detail in his orders. "Do you understand, Shepard?"

"Crystal clear, sir. What time are they scheduled to report to the Iliad?"

"You're departure is in two days, they will be there at oh six hundred. Shepard, this is a sensitive mission. Do not anger the Turians on board, treat them with the same respect you would give someone of the same position as you or higher."

That didn't mean much to her. Some of her subordinates got more respect from her than those of a higher rank. People earned her respect by what they did and said how they treated her and others. Not because their rank justified that she should respect them.

However, she understood what he meant and nodded, "Anything more, sir?"

"Keep me posted."

"Will do."

"Hackett out."

The room went silent and Jane moved over to one of the eight chairs that circled the room. She sat down and placed her face in her hands. This was going to be a nightmare.

Since the start of the war, her ability to fall and stay asleep had decreased slowly to the point where she had to take medication. If ten Turians were on board, she knew that sleep would never come to her. She would be too wired about the fact that one of them could sneak into her room and kill her before she even had the chance to shout.

No. They wouldn't do that.

While General Victus was quite famous for surprising Alliance troops by not following normal Turian protocols, no one could say he lacked honor in how he fought. All Turians were the same, those in the military at least. They would rather have a fair fight to show everyone that they truly are stronger, than to stab someone in the back and show everyone that they were a coward for not allowing the other a chance to defend them.

Before she joined the Alliance, she would stab someone in the back without a problem. Survival was above petty things like honour and trust.

Another sigh left her lips and she stood up. She had to honour and trust her guests, and that meant finding accommodations for ten soldiers. Putting them with her crew was what she normal would do in the circumstances, especially since a lot of them were on shore leave, but the Turians couldn't be trusted as much as that.

There was the room behind the medical bay that was just being used as storage. She could set up cots for them, shift things around. It would keep the crew and the Turians separated by two floors. All except her, that was. Her quarters were right beside the med bay. She would've preferred to be closer to the CIC, but this way she had access to the med bay, as well as a quick route to the engine control room in case things started to go haywire.

Her body moved automatically as she set out to get ready for their guests. When she ordered the storage rooms contents cleared and put in the cargo hold, no one questioned it but when she told them to set cots up they gave her curious looks. She would have to explain it eventually, but for now she would leave them in the dark. Get everything ready and _then_ tell her crew that Turians would be on board. Anyone who wanted to leave could do so then.

When it was time to start making her rounds, she headed up to the CIC in order to talk to Pressly. As the elevator moved up, she checked her messages. There was one from the Turian Ambassador, personally informing her about the Turians who were going to be aboard her ship. Including names and ranks. Nothing classified was on her reports of the men and women, but it was just enough for her to know that while they were high ranking and deadly, there was no record of them being overly aggressive towards human hostages or anything of the like during the war. They followed orders and that was it.

She marked the information for later as the elevator doors opened.

Pressly turned as she emerged, "Captain, Engineers Gorpanus and Adams are outside waiting for clearance to enter the ship. They are the lead engineers for the retrofitting."

"Grant them entrance; I'll meet them outside the airlock. Anything else to report?"

The man looked like he wished to say something, but he remained silent, "No, Ma'am."

"Dismissed," she nodded at him before moving towards the front of the ship. She adjusted her shirt.

There was one good thing about the Turians helping with her ships retrofits. If they truly committed themselves, then the ship would be much higher tech than normal. Though she didn't know too much about the technical aspects of ships engineering, she knew when a ship was powerful, and man where the Turian ships high end on that scale.

When the airlock opened, she saw a man maybe in his late forties wearing Alliance colours. Engineer Adams, she presumed and glanced over to the other. She could tell it was one of the female Turians. Slightly larger mandibles and a balder head. That must be Engineer Gorpanus. She nodded respectfully at both of them.

"Captain Shepard. Engineer Gorpanus, I'm sure you've been informed of our task?" she asked, and continued as the woman nodded, "This will be a brief inconvenience of your time, I assure you. We just wanted to see the inside of the ship for ourselves and get the feel of it rather than rely on just blueprints."

"Of course," Shepard replied simply, "I'll show you to our engineering room first then."

"Thank you."

One of the remaining soldiers feel in behind the group as Shepard led them to the elevators. She had a few questions she wanted to ask the two of them, and sorted out what was most important. However, she waited until the elevator doors closed before asking them.

"What will be the goal of these retrofits?"

"Alliance is looking to guide this vessel away from front line assaults and towards stealth or tactical one," Engineer Adams informed, "However, how much we can do is up to your ship and how much she can hold and withstand."

"We'll be adding new technologies to her that both sides have been working on. Decreasing heat emissions, increasing speed and agility, and providing a more durable shielding processor," Engineer Gorpanus added, "Trust that your ship will become the forefront of engineering marvels."

The woman spoke with a bit of excitement that Shepard shed off a layer of defense. Gorpanus was clearly interested in her job, and wouldn't sacrifice the ship in any way. If Jane was able to pin any time of character on someone, she would say Gorpanus was an idealist.

"That's good to hear, and all modifications will be approved by the Alliance?" she questioned as the elevator doors opened onto the engineering deck.

"As well as yourself," Adams informed her as they headed towards the heart of the ship, "Any modifications that you think will hinder the way you run this ship will be modified to fit your and your crews needs."

The crew in Engineering was limited to the essentials. People making sure that the ship would be running smoothly for their trip to Earth in two days time. They checked who entered the room and snapped to attention when they saw her. She glanced over them, before introducing the two beside her. Once they were all acquainted, they returned to their duties and the two Engineers were able to examine the room and all the different parts that made the ship who she was. The Turian took pictures on her omnitool, and added different notes onto a data pad. Adams agreed with a few words on different notes and added a few of his own to another one, taking pictures as well.

As they worked, some of the crew glanced over curiously. Finally one asked one of the others what changes were going to take place, and how much would they be able to work with the modifications. The two engineers overhead this, and the Turian addressed their concerns.

"All our modifications on the controls will be based off your training already, anything else that's modified to something more advanced or completely different will have a training course to able to safely handle the system. We promise these modifications will not remove any positions or rearrange any positions currently laid down, but simply modify them slightly to better suit the new ship," she said calmly and carefully, meeting the crew member's eyes. Or at least those who would look at her. "If you have any questions, you may address myself or Engineer Adams, or if you have a concern, you may submit them to your captain and she may address them with us as she sees fit."

While the crew didn't seem too pleased about being reassured by a Turian, they returned to work and didn't voice any more questions or opinions on the matter. She was silently proud they didn't make a fuss that there was a Turian on their ship, and didn't seem angry that she was taking pictures of their ship. If it wasn't for the Turians excitement for this project, Jane might suspect the woman of taking the pictures to give the Turians intelligence. However, due to their newfound peace, a lot of non-classified secrets were out and she didn't see why the inside of a ship that was going to be gutted and updated was going to do much. There weren't too many more ships designed like the Iliad.

As the Engineers moved on to different points in the ship, she realized as they spoke how much was actually going to be changed. It was going to be basically an entirely new ship. Most of the layout would be shifted for the technological upgrades, and she knew some of the outside of the ship was going to be changed as well. The Iliad would no longer be the Iliad. A new ship was going to need a new name.

She would chew over the idea for names later on, if she was given the choice of naming it.

What truly amazed her was how well the two engineers got along. Neither of them seemed irritated to be working with the other, they seemed to be quite friendly and respectful of the other. It was…intriguing, and maybe she should be learning something from this example.

However, when she thought of the Turians who would be boarding her ship in two days time, and the Turian she was marrying. Anger flared in her stomach, and she tensed. So, it wasn't all Turians that pissed her off. That was…a start.

The two engineers finished off in the cockpit. The pilots were polite and courteous to them, thankfully. Gorpanus turned towards her and her mandibles shifted slightly, "Thank you for allowing us onboard your ship today, Captain. We'll be beginning designs as soon as possible with our teams."

"When do you think this project will be complete?"

"We are hoping that most of the ground work will be done before you return to duty. We are going to prioritize the core functionality and heat emission decrease. Anything else can be completed at a later date," Adams estimated, "Plus, with the Alliance and Turians working together we should be able to complete this project faster than average with twice as many hands working on it."

"Thank you. I'll prioritize both of your messages, and will see you after my extended leave," she opened the airlock.


End file.
